LaPierre on hot seat defending NRA

2/3/13 9:55 AM EST

National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre was on the hot seat on "Fox News Sunday," defending the association's position on everything from a controversial ad referencing President Barack Obama's daughters to being opposed to universal background checks.

"It wasn't picking on the president's kids... The president's kids are safe, and we're all thankful for it," LaPierre said.

At one point, Fox host Chris Wallace called LaPierre's statement "ridiculous" that children across the country are facing the same threats as president's two daughters.

"Tell that to the people in Newtown," LaPierre said. "Unfortunately, I think there are parents all over the school that think, all over the country that think, their kids are entitled to the same amount of protection when they go to school."

Wallace also pointed out that the ad made a class argument, that elites are able to afford armed guards and then cited LaPierre's own security detail, including at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

"We've had all kinds of threats coming to us," LaPierre said. "I don't deny anybody the right to security when they need it. What I am saying is, it's ridiculous Chris for all the elites and all the powerful and privileged, the titans of industry to send their kids to schools where there is armed security, to have access to semi-automatic technology."

LaPierre focused much of his comments on getting the government to enforce laws on the books, arm guards at schools and going into cities like Chicago in a mass effort to get gang members off the streets.

"Every gang member on the street of Chicago, starting tomorrow morning, let's pick them up. We've got a federal law to get them off the street and put them in prison and that would cut crime and we're not doing it," LaPierre said.

LaPierre also argued against universal background checks.

"I don't think you can say those 1.7 million were stopped from getting a gun at all," LaPierre said, noting the government hasn't prosecuted many of the cases.

LaPierre said he had changed his mind on background checks after fighting the mental health lobby and the American Medical Association to get the mentally ill to be included in the program and to computerized.

"It's a fraud to call it universal. ... The criminals are never going to comply with it. They could care less," he said, arguing that it will just be a check on legal gun owners. Further, LaPierre argued it would create a "bureaucratic nightmare" and create a "universal check into a universal registry of law-abiding people."